You and Me
by Norick Madcaskae
Summary: A story of corruption, a story of love and a story of innocence. The sweetness of romance and the bitterness of reality.
1. Miles Away

_You and Me  
Story by Gogehenks/Norick Madcaskae  
Characters are Copyright Service and Games (SEGA)_

_Author's Note: **Holy shit. Gogehenks posted a new story? **Indeedly, I have decided to expand upon what was, "You and Me." Hopefully it will live up to expectations and will be something worth all your time.  
Note that this is going to be an actual story, not a simple one shot thing.  
Note also that the first two chapters are not actually story, but background to the main characters._

_Anyways, that's all I have to say. Enjoy._

**Warning: Rated R for Content. Those whom are easily offended would do well to fuck off.**

_Sincerely,  
Gogehenks/Norick Madcaskae_

* * *

"Some of the feelings I've held back...they seem to come back to haunt me."

_His voice was golden, if one can describe sounds with colors. It was rich and benevolent, filled with a passion and glory for what he did. His loving voice and his almost jaw dropping speech; so full of emotion, so full of love. It was only surpassed by his sheer will to do good amongst the people around him._

"...But I know...deep within my heart and my soul...that these feelings will pass, with time."

A few people scooted around, getting comfortable. Some wiped tired, wet, or pained eyes while still others just stared in awe.

_How I wanted, so badly to have been in there with them. To sit in the pew and listen to him go on and on. The very idea was, itself, almost terrifyingly beautiful. Oh, how I wished I could stand and sing with them, knowing the good that would come to my heart and soul. But I simply couldn't._

"Sometimes, however, these feelings do not pass as they should. Emotional attachments become harder to break with time. When such time passes, one can only hope these feelings will as well. When they don't, we become scared…"

_I could feel my ears cringing, softly. I finally built up enough courage to step my pagan and sinful feet, barefooted, into this church._

_It was why I had come in the first place…_

"Even as children, we understand what death is…but no matter how long we live, we will never truly grasp why it hurts us so. Some of us don't fight such pains while others spout ridiculous claims of courage and hardened hearts. 'I won't be daunted,' we may say; but sooner or later, we all fall down and cry for those we lose in life…"

_I wasn't actually looking. The people around me were like ghosts in a frighteningly real dream. The soft piano music that filled the cathedral made my heart sway like a pendulum. But such a movement wasn't meant for my heart._

_My poor…solemn…lonely heart._

_As I walked towards him, I had my eyes set. Strangely though, they did not look at him. They looked past him. They burned a hole through the podium, through his body and to, instead, the large caskets behind him._

"Even still, though, there are those who expect death. They know it comes, they know it's inevitable. And yet, despite this, they are still shocked when it does come. My friends and family…it is for these people that we pray now. It is for these people that, in my heart, will suffer more than those who have fallen…"

_Though I didn't see the other people, I could feel many of them watching me as I wandered my way to the front, slowly but surely. My cold body quaked softly as shivers and feelings of discomfort ran up my spine. My eyes closed briefly as I caught my breath…and my heart._

"…Some of you have noticed the young girl making her way to the front of the pews…"

_At this, I heard a rustle. Bodies moved to look, to get a better view. Children were silenced, people were hushed. Crying babies had even gone as if dead. I felt something drop from my face, but more, I felt its burnt path from my eyes, down my cheek, to my chin._

_There was a murmuring in the crowd. Some said this, others said that. But I had no collective thought beyond what lay behind this man in a white robe._

"…These were her parents…"

_Gasps and a darker silence filled the entire room as I continued my way up to the caskets. I walked up some small steps, tripping on one to get to the top. When I finally reached my destination, I looked into the caskets. With lids open, I could make out the perfected faces of my dad and mom. I blinked twice before reaching into the one with dad in it._

_There he was…in my hands._

"This child is no older than 5…and yet she understands death…and now more so than most of us ever have in our lives. My friends…no child should ever have to see what this child has seen. No child should ever have to endure the tortures that has and must. No child…should ever…have to experience death…"

_I heard voices murmur some more, some still crying. I heard a choir starting to sing, and despite my direct focus, could hear the muffled words of a song._

_And that's where I broke..._

_The people in the cathedral may have cried, but none of them had been half as loud as me. What silence there was was utterly shattered by my whales. I tried to stop myself…but it was as the man had said: I understood death. I knew that these figures of love in my life were gone. They were never coming back. And worst of all: there was nothing I could do about it._

_The man placed one of the spare white robes on me, more to cover my body than to keep me warm. He kissed me gently behind the ear, whispering something into it. It was a language I didn't know so I couldn't reply. I simply continued crying, hoping that maybe someday this horrible reality would be destroyed. I'd wake up realizing that it was all just a horrible dream._

_Deep down, I knew though…_

_This was about as real as it could ever get…_

"Ashes to ashes."

_I buried my face into my arms and cried some more. My ears lowered to being almost flat against the sides of my face._

_A match was struck. Two candles were lit. The lights dimmed the room into blackness. And I watched as the faces of my parents disappeared in front of me._

"Dust…"

_…**to dust.**_


	2. Sonic Wavelength

"_So you're the one who saved that girl from that psycho teacher last month, huh?"_

"Yeah," I said between bites, "…that was me."

"You know, the kids around school are saying that you ran so fast…you dodged his bullets."

"…Yeah, I…I guess I did," I pondered.

You could say that it had been a strange change of pace for me in the past month. See, I was always considered a freak. Don't ask me why…I never really understood it. I wasn't any different from the other kids. I dressed the same, had hair like they did. I was just…unpopular, I guess.

Then one day I came to school and everything changed.

A teacher had lost it. He'd gone completely postal, right? Well, he somehow sneaked a gun into the school and was holding a hostage whom, ironically, was a close friend of mine. In fact she was…the _only_ friend of mine.

As you can imagine, this didn't sit well with me. So I gallantly rushed to her rescue like in those movies with the knights and the horses.

What?

Okay, okay, so I didn't bravely, gallantly jump into the fight on a mighty steed with sword and banner drawn to scare the guy off. I did take him down and save the day, nonetheless. Since then, it's like all the previous moments of unpopularity have just…disappeared! I'm on the top of the food chain! Kids that used to pick on me won't put a hand on me for fear of her older brother coming and wiping the floor with their asses!

"…So…why did you do it?"

"Well, if you must know, I'd do anything for a lady in distress…" I quoted my favorite movie, trying to be suave and cool. I brushed a bang out of my face and stared at her with slanted…uhhh…staring eyes.

"Cute…but I've seen that movie."

She stuck her tongue out at me as I dropped the act and mumbled curses under my breath.

I groaned and finally just gave her the answer, "That girl that he was holding hostage? She's the only true friend I've ever had. And…at the time…she was my only friend at all. That and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it out of the whole situation **_alive_** so I figured it would be my big, glorious curtain call thing, ya know?"

She giggled before staring at me, in almost an examining way.

"…What?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry…you have really nice eyes. I've seen you enough, but you always had your face hidden. I never really had a chance to figure out what you really looked like behind the bangs."

"Well, now's your chance, baby. I'm all ears and ain't got no fears! And as of this month, I'm the hippest, coolest, most awesomest thing to happen to this school since the word, "erection" became part of its vocabulary!"

She laughed out loud to my comment almost leaning back so far as to fall off the bench she was sitting on. I chuckled a bit, regaining my own composure before rolling up my sleeves to dig further into my lunch…which she bought for me.

I have to say, this "being kickass" gig is pretty sweet.

Hell, the teachers have even been nicer to me. It's like, all of the sudden I'm respectable. Not like I wasn't before but now I'm actually getting the respect.

"I will say that you are pretty cute. In fact you're almost too cute."

"Whadda-ya-mean?" I said, munching on a chilidog. I saw her point behind me, grinning. It looked almost like she was making fun of me. I turned around and saw a large group of girls all sending random looks my way. At first I thought that it was cool, but then I realized that they were all of differing ages. Some of them would be too young or too old for me. The other thing that I noticed was that none of them were anything _but_ too young or old.

I gotta tell ya, that kinda sucked.

I turned back to the girl I was talking to and fake-glared at her. She smiled and giggled.

"_You should be careful in the halls…you might get jumped. If not by them, then by me."_

"Heh heh…" I blushed uncontrollably, shrinking a bit into my seat.

She smiled and stood up, grabbing her backpack. As she walked by, I grabbed her hand and brought her close to my face. "Uhh…what're ya doing later?" I asked, somewhat half-heartedly.

"_Why do you wanna know?"_

She was obviously toying with me. It's what the girl did in that movie I mentioned earlier. And that smile was…voluptuous? Is that a good word? I dunno. All I know is I seriously forgot that I was even talking to her at that moment. My brain lapsed into some form of sleep or coma that I've never experienced before in my life.

"_You askin' me out, or something?"_

Again with her coy antics and cruel mind games. "Yeah…yeah, I am!" I blurted out, though thankfully not as loud as I'd though I had. I saw her face turn bright red but also saw her keep a composure that was iron.

"_I'm busy during the day…but if you're willing to climb a tree, go across a bridge and find my tree house…I'm sure we can arrange a little get-together."_

"Awesome!" I said, bringing her close and hugging her. She hugged me back, giggling. She stood up and started to leave the lunch room. I turned back to my chili dog and took a couple bites. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned at saw her standing there, blushing again.

"_Hey…Sonic?"_

"…Yeah?"

She leaned down and kissed me passionately before finally saying it.

"_Thanks again…for saving my life…"_

She smiled and walked away. I stood in awe at what had transpired, only to glance over and see the "fan girls" all glaring in her general direction. Not one of them was left without red on their face at that moment, and I gotta tell ya, I laughed. I finished off my chili dog before outwardly commenting, "Today is going to fucking _rock._"

-+-

* * *

"Mom…it has nothing to do with the school being bad. I just don't want to go to school anymore. I don't need an education to be a super cool, hero dude!" I explained, trying to reason with the only driving force to the endeavors of this and my previous lifestyle.

"**You still need an education. But I'm not sending you back to that school…it's too dangerous. And besides, the kids that go there are thugs! Worst parenting jobs _ever_."**

"Jeez, Ma. Let it go. Listen, I'll keep going to school if you promise not to make me change schools, fair enough? You get what you want, I get what I want." My reasoning seemed logical, even for me. It was a win-win situation either way. I felt for sure that this is what needed to happen.

"**Out of the question! I don't want my son growing up in a crack warehouse! Why would I want you anywhere near such influences?"**

"Mom, those same influences have been there since kindergarten! It's no different!" I was on a roll tonight. Everything I was saying was gold, streamed with logic, "You and dad taught me all about this stuff long ago. I've never done drugs, I've never gotten seriously injured!"

"**But you almost got shot by an insane teacher!"**

"And I fucking stopped him! I saved the school and my friend! I saved everybody!"

"**Watch your language, young man!"**

"Why should it matter? It seems to be the only thing I say that gets your attention! You never listen to me, and when you do, you say I'm wrong! Just because you're older, doesn't mean you're right or that you know what's best for me and what I want!"

That last one struck a nerve.

"**How _dare_ you? How_ dare_ you say that to _me_?"**

"_Just shut up already!"_

There was an awkward silence in the room as my mother looked at me in horror. I, myself, was a little amazed at what had just happened. Had I actually just told my mother, the person who bore me for nine months, gave birth to me, fed me, gave me a roof over my head and countless other things…to _shut up_?

Oh you better believe I did!

"I'm going to my room. Good night," I growled, heading up stairs and to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I let time slip by, as I studied for a math test. The problems weren't particularly hard and I was pretty good at math. But I figured it would be a good way to pass time, and it's what my parents would've wanted me to do anyway. They might come in later for our annual, "After Argument Discussion" about how I'm wrong and they're right, they'd see me studying, they'd assume I was sorry, end of story.

Strangely enough though, neither of them actually came into my room. I was there 'til midnight, waiting.

About that point, I decided to go ahead and give her a call. I dialed the number on my phone and waited, nibbling on the pencil tip.

"_Hello?"_

The voice was dreary and tired, but awake. "You ready for the hottest night of yo' life, baby doll?" I said, quoting the movie again.

"_God, you're pathetic."_

She said mockingly as I laughed at her.

"_So…like…my dad's gone. He had a business trip he had to go on, so it's just me here."_

"Really? Well, that's good luck."

"_Yeah. So, just like knock on the door when you get here. Probably won't take you too long, Speedy."_

"God, I told you to stop calling me that!" I exclaimed, but quietly so my parents wouldn't hear. I heard an evil laugh on the other side and a click, signaling that she'd hung up. I grinned, grabbed my backpack and got ready. I grabbed my guitar, which thankfully was small. It would be easier to lug around. I took off all the strings, wrapped 'em up in coils, and put 'em in a little baggy to be used again later.

Now was the longest part of my plan.

I went downstairs, grabbed various things to eat and live off of (particularly hotdogs and hamburgers) followed by some things I could use to entertain myself. After that I grabbed my game gear, a pack of sixteen double-A batteries, stuffed it in as best I could and finally zipped the bag up. I only had one stop to make before I left for good.

-+-

* * *

I had been in her house before but only on the basis that we couldn't be alone upstairs. Her dad was a cool guy, but was kind of overprotective. Still, he was much better than _my_ parents. A viewpoint I made clear to her on any occasion where she was complaining about him.

"_So…what do you want to do?"_

"I want to quote that movie some more…" I said, kind of generally. I knew she wouldn't understand, but strangely enough, I think she got what I was getting at. Least, enough to ask me to clarify…but only to make sure her guess was…

Yeah, she had no freakin' clue.

"_Whadda ya mean?"_

"Well…I guess to tie in how we talk to each other…being that it's our favorite movie…" I began, waving my hands in circles as if trying to lead her down the imaginary trail I was creating.

"_Hands down, the best movie ever made."_

"Word." I said, simply, grinning.

"Well…What I mean to say is…uhh…well…" the blush on my face wasn't just physically apparent to her, but I could actually **_feel_** it.

"_Sonic, are you trying to tell me that you want to…"_

"Yeah…"

She blushed about as much as I did before scooting closer to me. Her breath was very warm on my neck. She started doing what the girl in the movie had done, kissing me up and down my neck. She opened up my shirt gently rubbed her hands over my chest. I purred like a cat for her petty amusement. We kissed like they did in the movie, touching tongues together.

I gotta tell ya, it was kind of weird at first. I remember telling her that if I ever did this with anyone, I would get sick and stop at the part where we had to touch tongues. Strangely, though, this was actually lots of fun.

She pulled away, looking like she was about to cry.

"…What's…what's up?"

"_One condition…"_

Did I mention I told her I was running away?

"_When you're famous…when you become that big superhero and you get surrounded by girls…remember me? Send me letters if you can…"_

At first, it all sounded so hokey. I couldn't understand what she was getting at.

"_I'm not telling you to love me now…we're just doing this as friends."_

She smiled more truthfully than I'd ever seen her smiled. I nodded in agreement, crossing my heart, without saying it.

"_Just promise me that you won't forget about me. That you'll stop by every now and again…you'll never know if…if I might need rescuing again."_

At this point I was starting to tear up. I hugged her close, and kissed her like we had just done. This time though, it was less experimenting and more honest. When I pulled away, I leaned forward to her ear, gently resting her head on my shoulder.

"I promise…I'll never forget you Zi…"

Lights out. And all that could be heard was our little noises.

_**I gotta tell ya…it was the best time I'd ever had.**_


	3. Station Square

Every morning it was a routine. Wake up in a darkened forest, step out into a stream, clean up, get dressed, head out for the day.

This was kind of life for me, I guess. No one to tell me what to do, no specific places to go to, and yet I still have to follow a schedule of some kind. It's mind-boggling. Still, it's better than that shit hole I _was_ living in.

I step out of the forest and look out over the bright, sun-lit field. The grass is a darkened green, the animals are out playing, fish are swimming in a lake. Everything is just all happy and gay.

Yeah…_ghey_ is fuckin' right.

Don't get me wrong…the scenery's beautiful and all but I don't really care. Nah, my day is on a schedule alright. I plan to start my hero business as soon as possible. I've got killers to stop, people to save, food to eat. And speaking of which, I'm hungry.

I speed my way towards town, slowing down at the entrance. From there I just mosey my way along. Ready and primed to set foot in a new setting and jump into the hero thing.

At first glance, the city (which apparently, is called Station Square) is a metropolis of sorts, filled with busy people going about their daily lives. The best place for a hero to be. Except for one little problem…

-+-

"Whadda-ya-mean the crime rate is at an all time low?" he exclaimed at several television sets in a window, all blaring the news to any passersby.

"Aww, fucking come on!"

The blue hedgehog's head dropped forward and leaned on the glass in front of him as he read through the scrolling text on the bottom of the largest screen in front of him. An elongated groan was emitted before he pocketed his hands and started wandering the streets, keeping his eyes open for any potential suspects.

"God…" he murmured low, to himself, "I should shave off these bangs. They make it really hard to see…"

He eyed his surroundings a bit more and walked towards what looked like a barbershop. In front of the door stood three patrons with instruments. One with a guitar, one with a washtub bass, and one with a harmonica. The docile tones of each note as this trio played their blues seemed enough to calm his nerves.

The door slid open and he walked in to what seemed to be a virtually empty room, save for the barber himself.

-+-

"Listen my child," _he began,_ "this city is no friendly place. I've been told that it can be rough, especially for young ones such as yourself. But I have heard of many a child being taken into foster care as well, something that you need. I just know, deep in my heart there is a family there for you, Miles…I just hope you may find each other before something terrible happens…"

_It had already been a long time since he had told me about this place. I had never been here but I was given a map to help navigate. Though…I'm not entirely sure how to use it._

_The river's warm waters felt good against me. My fur, over time, had become very dirty, to the point where several clumps had formed up and down my chest and belly. My mother always told me to look my best when going somewhere new. Though I'm pretty sure it really wouldn't have mattered in this case, I figured I wouldn't take any chances. I was already living in a forest anyway…_

_I sunk into the water until my chin was aligned with it, almost perfectly. It was so soothing being able to do just sit like this and not have to worry about this journey. No deaths to worry about, no extra people to hold me down…it seems so lonely, but I'd rather it be just me than drag other people through this place. I've already had my fair share of run-ins with various violent creatures._

_After soaking for what seemed like an hour, I stood out of the river and shook as hard as I could to try and get excess water off. I slipped into the pants and t-shirt I had been given by the priest before he sent me off._

_Looking back…I'm still amazed it's been so long since my parents died. Since that speech…_

_I felt my eyes beginning to tear up and I did what I could to shake the feeling. Alas, I was weak. I fell to my knees and wept, burying my face so none could see if they passed._

_I was so lost and confused here. Even with the map, I wasn't sure I'd be able to find my way around the city. I wasn't even sure I'd find my way through this forest **to** the city. It was all completely a matter of luck and, although the priest was able to give me a place to stay for a couple years, my luck really wasn't taking many turns for the better._

_This wasn't going to help and I knew it. But ever since that incident, I've found that if I just let myself cry every now and again, it would help. Sort of my own little way of releasing stress and sadness._

_I picked myself up after drying my eyes and finally put my shirt on. After packing up the various things, as I had been taught to by the priest, I made my way towards the city. The last beacon of hope that I had for a better life…_

-+-

People busied themselves, wandering from one place to the next as they passed through the seconds, the minutes, the hours of daily life. No one had any true purpose, but each person, in some way, had a goal.

Her eyes seemed fixed in front of her at all times, and rarely did her gaze slip. She never needed to watch what others did around her. Having learnt only so much of the world and how it revolved around her, she didn't have any comprehension or interest of the people around her and what they thought.

As far as she was concerned, it was not polite to stare.

Strangely, though, people seemed to stare at her as she walked by. Though she didn't notice them, people would keep a close eye on her and her strange figure.

"_Mommy, that fox has two tails!" _said a little boy, a little louder than most would've let out. The boy's mother, however, did not hush him. Why bother? She was thinking the exact same thing, though she'd had the capacity to keep it locked in her mind.

Miles' wanderings found her in front of what looked like an older, run-down warehouse. Her map pointed this as a key point of reference. This was the orphanage where she was told to stay until someone would come to adopt her as their own.

**_BUILDING_** **_CONDEMNED_**

She stared at this sign in some confusion.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, attracting the attention of a nearby patron. The man looked up from a newspaper and walked over.

"Yeah?" came the curious response.

"Sorry to bother you but…what does…this word mean?" Miles asked, pointing at the word. Her voice shook, slightly, as she spoke, making it apparent that she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted an answer to the question.

"Means the building's fuckin' old. People can't live, work, or do anything here anymore. It's a real shame because this was the last, actual orphanage in the city. Fuckin' shame…"

Despite the man's wording, which confused her to some degree, she understood what he was saying overall.

The orphanage wasn't there anymore. Her last hope of finding a real home blew out like a candle in the middle of nightly breeze, as did the air from her lungs as she fell to her knees. She looked at the map, reading it over and over again, hoping that maybe she'd read it wrong, that she'd had it upside down or twisted to the wrong side. Unfortunately for her, the more she looked, the more she regretted even looking at the crumpled piece of paper in the first place.

Her hands quivered and the map slid easily from her fingers onto the ground. A few wisps of air and suddenly there was a bang, shattered glass, a gust of wind, and lots of shouting.

Miles sprung to her feet in fright and turned around in circles trying to figure out what had happened. A crowd of people was now moving away from her, gathering towards a city street. She ran over, making her way through the crowd. As she ran she did her best to not run into people, a feet that was quite difficult to attempt considering that people were bumping into each other while standing still.

By the time she had gone about fifty yards or so, she could see that the commotion was rising. She could hear a sinister voice cackling over megaphone.

"_All right, hedgehog! If you wish to test your mettle against my metal, so be it! To commemorate your daring and courage, I'll make sure your death is slow and painful…"_

His last word hissed out as if he were a snake. It lowered and growled, almost completely opposite to his much louder, more contemptible laugh.

Miles looked around and saw what looked like a barbershop. Glass was lying all around it and the door had been kicked down. After another quick survey of the area, she saw a track of glass that lead towards where the voice had been coming from. Her feet suddenly kicked forward as she ran as fast as she could.

She had to see who this hedgehog was…and if he was going to make it.

-+-

The empty barbershop setting seemed kind of dull and I'll admit, when I saw that there was only one barber who seemed kinda old and shaky, I was pretty scared. Not so much for my hair; more just for my life in general.

"_Can I help you, young man?"_

His voice was deep and, despite his looks, quite full sounding. Not raspy as one would've expected. "I need to get these bangs on my head off…they make it hard to see, and I'm going to need to be able to if I want to make it big!" I explained, wholeheartedly.

There was a laugh and he nodded to a chair near a window. I headed over and sat down, tapping the arm bar patiently. When he came over and started his work, he did the preliminary barber thing. He started talking.

"_Don't think I've ever seen you here before…you new?"_

"Well, yeah…but to be fair there are a lot of people in this town. Maybe you missed some?" I joked back, keeping my wit about me. This golden oldie wasn't about to get special treatment just for cutting my hair.

"_But you **are** new here. Which is why I haven't ever seen you here before. Understand, son, I've lived in Station Square for twenty-three years. I've been up and down ever street and alley. I'm afraid there are no other blue hedgehogs that I've ever seen here…much less anywhere else."_

It was obvious he had me stumped. I knew from the beginning that my fur color wasn't exactly the most normal. Blue wasn't a typical fur color for hedgehogs. I shrugged and gave up the argument.

"You got me there, man."

He chuckled as he continued cutting through strands and strands of the hair.

"I just came up here…I'm hoping to make it big and become famous. I've been told that Station Square is one of the best places to do it in," I said, more questioningly than anything else. It was a statement, but it was also kind of a challenge. I figured I'd keep the conversation interesting as long as we were talking.

"_No doubt about it. If you can get famous here, you can get famous anywhere."_

His voice seemed filled with pride when he said that.

There was a silence that filled the room for a little while before he broke in. He seemed filled with curiosity, confusion, and just a hint of interest. But only a hint. He was far too entirely focused on my hair to be all that interested in anything else. Gotta say, that bit was creepy, but eh.

"_Today must be one of those days…"_

I passed it off at first, just assuming it to be old person banter. But after what seemed like hours of awkward silence I finally blurted, "Wha-the-fuck?"

"_Hm? Oh…I just saw what looked like a fox with two tails walk by."_

"…You sure you okay up there, gramps?"

"_Fuck off, son, I know what I saw."_

So the old man has a mouth after all. "What'd he look like?" I asked, a little more curious now.

"_A 7-8 year old girl."_

"That _is_ unusual. I don't recall looking like that when I was younger," making fun of this mystery fox he was talking about. I figured it was more of a bit of delirium caused by the fact that he's old and is just kind of here alone with me, cutting my hair. Not that I cause delirium. But I imagine that after doing that for so long, one can expect to lose their mind just a wee bit.

"_There ya go. We're done."_

I hopped down and looked at my face in the mirror. The first thing I noticed when I looked in this mirror? I could actually _**see**_ my face. Wasn't too shabby either, I might add.

I gotta say, I was pretty happy with how it all turned out. 'Course my interest in how good-looking I was quickly turned to how I was going to pay. If I should pay at all! I mean…sure, I wanna be a hero and save the day and shit. But I don't want to bother finding a way to pay this guy back for just chopping hair off my head.

"So uhh…I guess my next question is 'what do I owe you'?" I said, after staring a little longer.

"_Hell, I'll give it to you for free. Aside from the blues players outside, you're the most interesting customer I've had all month-"_

Though I'm pretty sure he'd finished what he wanted to say, he was cut off by some screams and a bang. I looked over fast and grinned wide. "This is it gramps! Wish me luck!" I shouted, dashing through the door.

What I didn't count on was the safety glass shattering all over me. Didn't hurt or scratch me or anything but I ended up wasting time wiping it off my head before I darted away. Which, ofcourse, ruins any badass mood you're trying to impress onto people. Sort of like Batman jumping from a roof, shouting, "Wheee!"

I zoomed off in the direction of the screams, ready for anything.

Or…so I thought.

-+-

The giant wrecking ball was strangely colored. It had a brown plaid-like design, the likes of which didn't match anything else. The ship that carried said wrecking ball was shaped quite similarly. The ship itself was only a size or two larger than the cockpit; the entire thing only had enough room for one person. The man at the helm of this ship only better defined the rounded shape that the entire thing embodied: _an egg._

He cackled loudly as the destructive force of the ball downed several small buildings in a single blow. Everything seemed so grim for the people of this generally peaceful city; this was not a man whose force was to be reckoned with.

The ball came to a stop and a small tube moved up in front of the man. He cleared his throat and announced, "I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik! I have come to this city to destroy it and make way for my own city. A glorious city that will be the defining metropolis of my new world!" A few people screamed, others simply looked on in horror as he stood up in his ship, bringing the tube up with him.

As he stood, the people could clearly see him. He wore a very surprisingly appropriate uniform the likes of which were comparable to that of great leaders of the past. His red coat had tails that neatly hung down behind him, and he wore well-fitting, black pants. On his hands he bore white gloves, below were cuffs that were folded back. He wore dark sunglasses and goggles on his head; and upon his face was a long, slender moustache that stretched far from one side to another. His voice was low, growling, and sinister.

"I give you all one final chance to either side with me and aid me in my quest to cleanse this world of imperfection…or fall at my hands!" he exclaimed, causing the ball to smash through a nearby building. The building rattled slightly and soon began to collapse to the ground. Robotnik's laugh echoed throughout Station Square as he sat back down and started working his way through the city again.

-+-

He managed to smash a few more buildings up a bit before I managed my way through the crowd of people (the only reason I wasn't _already _there) and caught up with him.

"Give it up, Eggman!" I shouted, figuring the insult might help get his attention.

Trust me; it did.

His ship stopped and he turned to me as if he were expecting some muscle-bound hero that he would likely crush underneath his übar-wrecking ball. The look on his face when he realized it was just me, the average little hedgehog kid, was that of disgust and bewildered humor. It was quickly followed by a scoff.

"_Or what? What do you think **you** can possibly achieve here, boy?"_

"Stop trying to hurt these people! As long as I'm alive, I won't let you take over!" I said, suddenly getting agitated. As much as I wanted to be popular…I actually really _did_ want to help these people. This guy was serious and there were many who were injured, if not dead, already.

At my comment, though, he laughed. A laugh that actually made me feel scared. I almost wanted to turn and run, as the image of the teacher and the gun filled my eyes once again. I quickly shook the thoughts away and got into a ready stance. Whatever he threw at me, I knew that I could dodge it. And with my speed (and my bitching spines) I could probably chop through just about anything.

After his laugh had died down enough so he could speak, he looked at me and grinned, wildly.

"_All right, hedgehog! If you wish to test your mettle against my metal, so be it! To commemorate your daring and courage, I'll make sure your death is slow and painful…"_

The last words of the sentence hissed out like an angered snake, a noise that sent several shivers down my back.

I stepped forward, away from the people a great distance and grinned. "Okay, _Eggman._ Let's dance!"

-+-

_He would jump out of the way as the wrecking ball flung back and forth at him. However he planned on beating this…**Robotnik** character was beyond me. And everyone else it seemed too._

_We all watched as this mystery boy toyed with the machine and gasped as he came close to getting hit several times. I saw several people look away, some who dropped their faces into their palms, obviously having no hope for the boy's survival. Others, who were cheering for him, were in fighting stances of their own, saying things like, "Get a hit in!" or, "Yeah, show 'em who's boss!"_

_I felt sure there was little hope for the boy. As much as I wanted him to win this battle, I knew that if he'd ever taken a hit from the giant weapon that was being swung around with relative ease, he would most likely get several very important bones shattered._

_Suffice to say, it would more than likely kill him._

_Sure enough, in his arrogant jumping and dodging around, he got hit._

_Several people cringed and some dropped down and cried, fearing the worst. I looked up hopefully at the now limp blue body on the ground. The 'eggman' laughed maniacally as he charged up to the boy, swinging the giant sphere up into the air._

_Everyone in the crowd watched as the ball collapsed onto the ground, crushing a few bodies, causing mounds of blood, flesh, and organs to be splattered around the newly created crater. At this, I should've looked away; but I didn't. I felt myself bend over and get sick. I saw the gunk seep into the ground below me. What I had missed, somehow, was the strange reaction from the crowd._

_They were…_

_They were…_

_They were applauding?_

_I stood as best I could, trying to make ends meet. A few people who had seen me, helped me up and helped keep me balanced. I looked around a bit and suddenly saw that the boy (whom I was pretty sure was crushed) was standing behind the machine._

_At first, my eyes widened. Then I felt my mouth gape open._

_How the heck had he managed it?_

-+-

Robotnik quickly lifted himself up, bringing the ball up to swing it at Sonic. As he did though, the hedgehog became a ball of his own. He began bouncing between the buildings where they were, as if he were in a pinball machine.

The crowd and Robotnik watched in awe as he suddenly stopped, ten feet to Robotnik's right side. Robotnik turned the vessel, lifting further, only to find that the wrecking ball was no long attached to the vehicle. The chain had been split completely in half, and what was left was dangling uselessly in the air.

There was a loud applause as the people of the city made the same realization. Sonic gave Robotnik a serious look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now get the fuck out of _**my**_ city," he commanded, causing the people to go into an uproar of cheers and happiness.

Ivo's glare was piercing and despite having won the fight, Sonic still felt the chill run down his spine as Robotnik looked at him.

"_Who are you?"_

"My name is Sonic! Make sure to spell it right when you write about this in your diary later tonight," Sonic mocked, starting to grin. Robotnik growled, loudly before shouting at him through the megaphone, causing everyone to shut up.

"_You may have won this time you pompous little hedgehog! But you have succeeded in only delaying the inevitable! I'll be back!"_

"And I'll be waiting!" Sonic shouted in return, more determined than ever to leave an impression.

As Robotnik flew away the crowd began cheering again, going back into the uproar they were in. Suddenly, cameramen and news reporters began swarming him, all of them asking questions, all of them attempting to get the big story. In the end, however, he couldn't answer their questions because he couldn't even understand them, really.

-+-

The feelings I felt and the things running through my head were more of genuine surprise than anything else. I had seriously not expected to win this fight.

But then, I hadn't really expected to lose.

I gotta tell ya, this was fuckin' awesome. Just the idea that I was going to be on TV made me think, "YES."

Babes lining up at my front door (when I…get a front door that is), guys who would want my autographs and look up to me (despite the fact that they may be taller than me), and kids who would buy my action figures: these were the only things one could expect from here on out. It was all so sweet, I could barely contain myself! I just wanted to scream out. I didn't care what I said, I just wanted to shout! It could've been, "I'm wearing women's underwear," and I would've been totally cool with that!

Until I realized what I had said and the fact that it was on public TV that I had said it.

Meh.

Point is, this was going to be a day to remember.

This is the day I took my first big step to becoming a true hero.

Oh Zi…if only you could've seen me…

_You would've been proud of me, baby._


	4. Everything Must Start Somewhere

_The news around town seemed strangely happy for such a…depressing setting._

_I sat in the barbershop, watching the TV as it blared the news about the incident. Around me, the place was full of reporters, talking to the barber about whether or not he'd really cut this kid's hair. It all seemed so superfluous to me._

_But then…I didn't really understand the whole situation, I guess. I wanted to feel joyous like the rest of these people but, for some reason, I just couldn't. I was happy for the people who were saved, I guess. **I** just wasn't happy._

_My eyes gazed around the very plain barbershop as people started to leave. The barber, whose dark skin and soothing voice, seemed more perturbed by the sudden group of people, than happy like they had been. It was as if he didn't want them there._

"Now…you said you wanted a hair cut?"

_I snapped back to reality and looked at him briefly, before nodding. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted specifically. I had come more to get off the street as opposed to getting a haircut. I sat down at the seat next to one of the windows and looked out. The setting sun's last bit of light gave a beautiful glow and warmth to the city._

"You seem awfully young to be here alone," _he said. I looked up at him and said nothing. I looked back down, eyes shifting around as I tried to think of a response._

"Not in a mood to talk, eh?"

_"I'm sorry…it's not that…"_

"Oh? Something on your mind?"

_"…Yeah…"_

"Hmph. Girls your age shouldn't be thinking about boys yet…"

_"What? Hey!"_

_I looked back up to him feeling somewhat irritated. The worst part though, was actually the fact that I could feel myself blushing._

"Aw, settle down. I'm just joking, young'un."

_A sigh and I fell back into my chair._

-+-

"I guess I'm just tired is all…" came the soft, saddened voice. Her eyes gazed back out the window and focused in the general direction of the incident from just a few hours ago. It seemed like so much had happened in such a short amount of time. And yet, at the same time, nothing had changed.

"That's not the voice of someone who is tired, though. That's the voice of someone who's depressed," was the response. The man's voice was deep and soothing, not nearly what she'd imagined from him upon first sight.

"I've lived a long life…seen many things. If there's something I know, it's how to cut hair, and how to read the signs people subconsciously make that tell you how they're feeling."

The fox-girl's eyes widened slightly as she listened. To her, though this all made sense, it seemed odd coming from this barber who worked in a small, out-of-the-way store.

"Well…you can read me like a book…" she said, smiling softly, getting a little more comfortable. Having the figure of someone who understood what was on her mind made her feel somewhat better. Knowing that she really didn't have to tell him anything for him to understand made things yet better.

"Sorry for the wait," he began, after a long silence, "Apparently this boy saved the day, and he just happened to be the last customer I had." He chuckled after the comment, murmuring something about the boy being a prick.

"It's alright; I'm in no rush."

-+-

_When all was said and done, he handed me a mirror._

"Not bad, considering you didn't tell me what you wanted. I think it's you."

_I looked at the girl staring back at me. Prior to this visit, my hair had grown so long that I could barely see past my bangs. I could've looked into this same mirror and I wouldn't have recognized the person looking back at me. But now I was looking into the bright blue eyes of a girl who's bangs seemed to stand perfectly on their own out over my face. Everything was smoothed down so it was all more like my natural fur, as opposed to head hair._

_I smiled and handed the mirror back to him. I took off the towel he had wrapped around me and jumped off the seat onto the ground._

"You know…" _he began,_ "sometimes life will get ya' down. Just try to keep your chin up, and you'll find that life always gets better. It just takes time."

_What he'd said whirled around my head and lingered for a while as I thought it over. I smiled again and hugged him._

_"Thanks for listening…" I said, softly nuzzling him. He hugged me back and stood up._

"You best be getting along, young'un. It's getting late…but listen: if you ever need a place to hang out to get away from it all, feel free to stop by again."

_I nodded and turned towards the door._

"Oh, wait. I forgot to ask…what's your name?"

_"Hm? Oh…my name is Miles Prower…"_

"I'm Bermington. Y'all can call me Bernie though."

_I nodded and smiled again, before opening the door and leaving. As I walked out towards the edge of the city, I thought about all that had happened that day, what I'd accomplished. As I wandered, the sounds of life around me seemed only to be background noise. People made their comments, cars drove by, and various TVs made praises to this…"Sonic the Hedgehog" kid. I have to admit…I didn't care for it. I was jealous of him and what he'd done and all the attention he was getting out of it._

_But then, at the same time…I wanted to meet him and see if he really was the pompous person I saw on TV everywhere I looked._

_After leaving the town, I made a hard left towards the forest, putting my hands into my pockets for warmth. As I walked, a cool breeze blew over and I felt a shiver run up my back. This wasn't a good sign._

_I jogged back to my campsite and began setting up the tent. I took two looks around to make sure I was well hidden and then took off my clothes, getting back into the river. How it had done so seemed beyond me at this point but it was still just as warm as it had been earlier. A good thing as I really just wanted something warm to sink into now anyway._

_Now I just need to find out what to do with my life…_

-+-

"Listen, for the last time, it's something I've been able to do all my life!" I shouted at the crowd of reporters for the fifty-millionth time. Even for me it was getting old. I couldn't stand this bullshit anymore. All they cared about was how I did it. What about the people who were killed? What about the injured and homeless left in the wake of all this? They weren't really saved.

Yet here I am, unintentionally hogging all the attention.

I zoomed off towards the outskirts of town. No warning, no reasoning (least, as far as the paparazzi was concerned). After leaving town, I dashed for the nearest part of the forest and literally just dived the fuck in there.

I'll admit it wasn't one of my crowning moments of intelligence. I gotta tell ya, that thorn bush fucking hurt like a bitch!

I scrambled my way out of the long and winding vines, making my way towards my tent. I'll jump in the river when I get there. For now I needed to concentrate on getting there without making another wondrous leap of faith.

I groaned loudly and moved on, pushing branches out of my way as they came. Various other little, thorny plants were avoided with extreme prejudice. Though it didn't help much in the end, because some of them were bigger than I had originally thought. I tripped on, like, four of them. No doubt I had blood streaming from all over me because of all the spikes in my flesh.

At this point I'm resisting all urges to just scream out in agony. I want to, but who knows who will hear if I do. This forest really isn't all **_that_** far away from town.

I finally get back to my campsite to find that it's just as I'd left it this morning. Nothing has changed. Which is good, because most of this stuff has a lot of value to me.

I quickly take my clothes off and toss 'em to the side, doing a cannonball into the river. The warm water feels fucking awesome. Or…at least it would…

If I didn't have a million poison tipped plant thorns stuck in my body.

I let out a yelp and quickly clasped my hands over my mouth. I could hear my voice echoing around the forest, as if to mock me. And with that, I was under the water, screaming as loud as I could. All this before coming back up to inhale very heavily and cough up any water that had found it's way too far into the back of my mouth.

It was terrible. I must've screamed under the water for about ten minutes before finally coming up for air. I pulled myself out of the water, save for my legs and looked down. All the blood that had stained my fur was pretty much gone, with more coming to take it's place. I ran my hands over my arms and midsection, to see if I could find the thorns. As I did, I removed them. I gotta tell ya, it was a very slow and painstaking process. It sucked major ass.

But there was some good to come of all of this.

While I was doing that, I heard what sounded like a soft voice off in the distance. It was singing a very familiar song. Well…the tune was familiar. I couldn't tell what the words were.

I pulled myself out of the river and stood up, listening for where it was coming from. Faintly to the west, it seemed, but being that I was in such an area as I was, it could've been from the East and just be coming back. Thankfully, my logic (or ears, in this case) proved correct. Following the voice, I managed to find myself wandering a good couple of miles down the river. As I wandered, I thought about the song and tried to remember where I'd heard it before. 'Course, nothing came to mind. I think I was still in too much pain to think straight.

When I got to where it seemed I could find the source of the voice, I looked around briefly and saw what looked like another campsite. I kept close to the river, but ducked behind a nearby bush so as not to be seen. I looked around again, but this time I saw some**one**. She was an orange, fox girl, had three bangs that hung down in front of her face (but managed to keep perfectly out of her eyes) and…she had two tails.

I had seen some weird things before, but the whole "duo tail" thing was probably the strangest I'd seen yet.

She hummed her little song as she just kind of lazily floated around in the water. By the looks of things, she was far more comfortable than I had been. Obviously wasn't in as much a rush as I was getting into the forest.

My eyes gazed over her, examining her figure, and then looked over to her tent and the stuff she'd had laying around.

Nothing special, really.

A few pots for cooking, a book or two, a spot to build a fire. Not like mine which had all sorts of things I had brought from my home. Hell, I'd even put together a makeshift stand for my guitar. From the looks of it, this girl was humorless and had no real interest for entertainment…or _something_.

A couple books? Who lives out in the woods with nothing but a couple of books to keep 'em company? What an idiot.

I shook my head and looked back at her. Her head was laid back now, as if she were looking up at the sky. Would've thought she was too, had I not noticed her eyes were closed. I gotta say, she may not've been the brightest tool in the shed, but she was kinda cute. She was well kept, figure wise. Despite being an obvious bookworm, she looked as if she'd gotten enough exercise to keep a fine shape. Granted she looked a little too young to be in any sort of bad shape but still.

After looking at her for a little while, I looked back to the campsite and made my way towards it. I figure, while I'm here, might as well, see what she's got lying around.

-+-

Sonic moved quietly towards Miles' tent, making sure to avoid any twigs or other noisemakers on the way. All for not, it seemed, as every time he would put his foot down, a soft noise would emit. One he was dead sure would give him away.

Miles', however, was sleeping and had no idea that Sonic was even there. The soft noises he was making were not enough to wake her. Unfortunately for him, there really was no way of knowing.

As he made his way closer to the tent, he looked around a bit more. He found a couple more books here and there, along with some other random things like utensils for cooking and eating with. Nothing special in his eyes. It seemed like the girl had only set up camp as a place to sleep at night as opposed to a place to actually live in.

Sonic looked around a little longer before finally deciding to leave. He turned to head off, but noticed the girl's clothes on the ground. At first he thought nothing of it. But then he got an idea.

A dash from one spot to another and then he ran off, hoping that the noise he had made in the ruckus would catch her attention.

Fortunately for him (but unfortunately for her), it did.

-+-

_I caught myself before I slipped into the water completely._

_Had I been sleeping? I must've drifted off while sitting here…_

_Although I kind of wished I didn't have to, I figured I'd probably been in the water long enough and, thusly, had to get out. Not something that was high on my list of to-do things, honestly. The water was so cool and so warm at the same time; it was as if I were in a nice home again. Getting out only reminded me more of my condition and where I was._

_I stood up and headed for my tent, picking up some of the books I had left scattered around when I had unpacked earlier. I didn't really have much intention of reading them. I figured I'd be too busy trying to get a real home to have time to spend here._

_Still…nothing like a good read before sleeping, I guess._

_I wandered around a while, picking up some more of the things I had lying about. A couple pots I had left out from earlier that morning was really it aside from my…clothes?_

_Glances went left to right as I searched for my ragged clothing, knowing full well that I had left them next to the tent. I looked for quite a while before finding strange footprints in the ground._

_"Hmmm…"_

_The tracks led around in what seemed like circles. But in the end there was a pattern or, in this case, a path to follow. After following it for several minutes, I was able to locate my clothes. They were balled up in a bush, just a few feet away, which was a relief at first. Though, right after that my thoughts quickly went onto who would've done this, and then back onto how I was going to manage a home in the city._

_I'm so single-minded…Ugh…_

_I slumped back to my tent and laid down for the night. Thinking back, once again, on the events passed, I shut my eyes and slowly drifted into sleep._


End file.
